Clock packages



G- C. SHENK CLOCK PACKAGES June 1, 1965 Filed Dec. 12, 1962 INVENTOR G0RGE C. SHENK F/G. 5 v

BY Wm-QHUN United States Patent 3,186,541 CLOCK PACKAGES George C. Shenk, West Chicago, Ill., assignor to Waldorf Paper Products Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corpora- I tion of Minnesota Filed Dec. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 244,078 2 Claims. (Cl. 2tl646) This invention relates to an improvement in clock packages and dealsparticularly'with a simple package designed to protect the relatively fragile transparent dial covering the clock face.

An object of the present invention lies in the provision of a clock package comprising a carton having a partition wall dividing the package into two compartments. The main compartment is designed to accommodatea clock, with the face of the clock directed toward the partition wall. The other compartment is merely a cushioning compartment, the partition holding the breakable dial in spaced relation to the adjoining wall of the carton.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a carton having a cushioning pad attached thereto. In packing the clocks, a thin pad of cushioning material, such as that commercially known as Kimpak has been inserted between the clock dial and the adjoining carton wall. This cushioning pad is provided to prevent the scratching of the lens during shipment. Considerable diificulty is experienced in inserting this pad between the clock dial and the carton wall in view of the flexibility of the pad and due to the tendency of the pad to tear as the clock is inserted, the clock fitting snugly within the carton. It is an object of the present invention to eliminate this difliculty and to simplify the task of packing the clocks.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a carton having the partition which divides the interior of the carton into a main compartment and a cushioning compartment, and to apply a cushioning pad to the carton blank while it is in flat form. When the carton is folded and glued, the cushioning pad is held in position on the partition wall to protect the face of the clock.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a structure of the type described in which the partition wall is provided with an aperture therethrough which is usually somewhat smaller in diameter than the dial of the clock and which is generally centered'with respect thereto. This aperture increases the flexibility of the partition Wall, and permits the cushioning pad to generally follow the contour of the center portion of the clock dial, the cushioning pad overlying the aperture.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification;

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the closed carton in readiness for shipping.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the carton with one end open to receive the contents.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view through the closed carton.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view of the clock blank after the first closing operation.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of the fiat blank with the cushioning pad attached thereto.

As is indicated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings, the carton A includes an end wall 10, a side wall 11, a second end wall 12, and a side Wall 13 which are connected along parallel fold lines 14, 15, and 16, respectively.

3,186,541 Patented June 1, 1965 "ice The end walls are of substantially equal width as are the side walls 11 and 13, so as to form a rectangular carton. A glue flap 17 is hingedly connected to the side wall 13 along a fourth parallel fold line 19. A partition panel 20 is foldably connected to the edge of the glue flap 17' along a fold line, 21, and a second glue flap or anchoring flap 22 is hingedly connected to the partition panel 20 along a fold line 23. The fold lines 21 and 23are parallel to the previously described fold lines. 1

In the particular arrangement illustrated, one end of the carton is designed to be glued shut. Closing flaps. 24, 25, 26, and 27 are 'foldably connected along a common line of fold 29 to the panels 10, 11, 12, and 13, respectively. Closing flaps 30 and 31 are also connected along the other end of the end wall panels 10 and 12 along a fold line 32. A cover flap 33 is foldably connected to the side Wall 11 along the fold line 32, and a tuck 'flap 34 is hingedly connected to the cover flap 33 along a fold line 35 which is in parallel spaced relation to the fold line 32.

Protective flaps 36 and 37 are hingedly connected to the ends of the partition panel 20 along fold'lines 39 and 40 which are aligned with the fold lines 32 and 29, respectively. Tabs or flaps 41 and 42 are foldably connected to the ends of the glue flap 17 along these same fold lines 39 and 40. The flaps 36 and 37 are for the purpose of increasing the thickness of the end closures of the carton, and are designed to engage over the clock to aid in protecting it. The tabs 41 and 42 fold between the ends of the partition panel 20 and the carton wall 13 to assist in holding the cartons square and for preventing the partition wall from lbulging.

The partition panel 20 is provided with a central aperture 43 extending therethrough which is of-a diameter in the range from about one-half the diameter of the transparent clock dial to the full diameter thereof, although the aperture is preferably smaller than the dial diameter. This aperture 43 permits the partition wall to flex more readily in its area of contact with the dial of the clock, which is indicated in general by the letter B and actually permits a portion of the clock dial to project partially through the partition wall if desired. As indicated in FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawings, a generally rectangular cushioning pad 44 is applied to the surface of the partition panel 20 which is directed toward the clock dial when the clock is in place. This pad is normally a thin flexible pad of Kimpak, or a suitable fibrous cushioning material, the pad protecting the clock dial from abrasion due to contact with the parti-' tion panel. The cushioning material is sufiiciently flexible to follow the contour of the clock dial in the event a portion of the dial extends through the aperture 43. The aperture in the partition panel has a tendency to prevent the cushioning pad from wearing through at the center of a clock dial which is normally convex on its outer surface, and which accordingly has a tendency to wear through when the center of the dial is the only area thereof which is in engagement with the padding material. The aperture 43 permits the padding to follow the curvature of the dial and thus to prevent injury thereto or scratching thereof.

In accordance with the patent statutes, the principles of construction and operation of this improvement in clock packages have been described, and while an endeavor has been made to set forth the best embodiment thereof, it should be understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without vdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

I claim: 1. A clock package comprising,

a carton having tubularly secured side and end walls in rectangular relation,

a partition wall connecting the, opposed end walls parallelto said side wallsland' dividing said carton into aarelatively largeiclock compartmentand a relatively small cushioning compartment,

' a clock in said clock compartment having a dial said partition pad'having an'aperture extending 'there-:

through substantially aligned With the clock dial and of somewhat smaller diameter, whereby said clock dial may flex 'the padding partially into said partition pad aperture.

i2. A clockpackage comprising, a carton having 'tubularly arranged 's'ide and 'end walls 7 in rectangular Irelation,

' a partition wall connecting the opposed end walls parallel to said siderwallstand dividing said carton into a relativelylarge clock'cornpartment and a relatively small cushioning compartment,

THERON ELCO'NDON,Primary Exan ziner,

a clock snugly fitting within said clock compartment having a dial facing said partition wall,

end closures on said walls closing the ends of compartments, j

said partition wall having an aperture therethrough substantially aligned with clock dial and of somewhat smaller-diameter, and. I

a thin flexible film of padding between-said clock dial and said partition ,wall,

whereby said clock dial may flex the padding partially -into the .partitionwall aperture. 1

'Ref erence sCited by the-Examiner UNITED'STATES PATENTS r "2,682,949 V 7/54 Whitehead 2506-46 2,939,622 -'6/60 'Dippolite .206'4-5.-19

Liebeskind 1 229-140 Knaur a29' 39 

1. A CLOCK PACKAGE COMPRISING, A CARTON HAVING TUBULARLY SECURED SIDE AND END WALLS IN RECTANGULAR RELATION, A PARTITION WALL CONNECTING THE OPPOSED END WALLS PARALLEL TO SAID SIDE WALLS AND DIVIDING SAID CARTON INTO A RELATIVELY LARGE CLOCK COMPARTMENT AND A RELATIVELY SMALL CUSHIONING COMPARTMENT, A CLOCK IN SAID CLOCK COMPARTMENT HAVING A DIAL FACING SAID PARTITION WALL, A THIN FLEXIBLE FILM OF PADDING SECURED TO SAID PARTITION WALL BETWEEN SAID CLOCK DIAL AND SAID PARTITION WALL, AND SAID PARTITION PAD HAVING AN APERTURE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE CLOCK DIAL AND OF SOMEWHAT SMALLER DIAMETER, WHEREBY SAID CLOCK DIAL MAY FLEX THE PADDING PARTIALLY INTO SAID PARTITION PAD APERTURE. 